Job-Hunting Help

The truth is, many companies are simply very bad at writing job descriptions, says Kathy Simmons, CEO of Netshare, a San Francisco-area online career services company for senior executives. The descriptions are often crafted by committee, with the hiring manager, human resource chief and line workers all adding favorite words and phrases to what becomes a mixing bowl of hiring buzzwords.

Still, if you're looking for a job, it pays to know what recruiters are trying to get at with their opaque language. Below is a list of seven terms found in actual job listings, decoded and explained.

Do you know how to decode the jargon in a want ad? — Photo by Getty Images

1. "Required skills" and "preferred skills"

Required skills are what you must have, the price of admission. If you don't have these, don't bother to apply. Preferred skills are extras that companies have traditionally used as the tiebreaker to decide between two comparable candidates.

In the current market, there is so often such a huge oversupply of applicants for each job that many companies feel "they can look for someone who walks on water," Simmons says. So they bulk up the list of preferred skills.

Her favorite one recently asked for people with 10 years of experience in advertising on mobile devices — even though that market didn't exist 10 years ago.

2. "Must be willing to work flexible hours"

This phrase can have different meanings. It may signal that you shouldn't count on working 40 hours a week, or that you should be willing to work some overtime.

Or it could mean that some of the regular work hours will fall outside a normal 9-5 schedule. Many jobs in hotels and hospitals have these kinds of hours to accommodate different schedules, says Michele St.Laurent, recruiting practice manager at Insight Performance Inc., a human resources consulting firm in the Boston area.

3. "Entrepreneurial spirit"

This is a favorite in today's hiring world. It's an indication that the company is looking for someone who doesn't wait around for instructions, is comfortable with a high level of risk and is eager for hands-on work, even without a support staff. Definitely not a corporate type.